The past week I was fighting a flu which eventually won over me, pushing me back on things to do and sapping my creative energy. Half recovered and still a little weak I perked up with a dinner invitation to Ritz-Carlton, where a friend has recently moved in.

As we drove in, the valet was waiting to park our car and the concierge to escort us to his private elevator to his condo. The space was decorated with huge pieces of art and clean-lined furniture pieces but the ambience was created by the gorgeous backdrop, soft music in the back, fireplace and the candle light, needles to say that there was great company. the guests did not want to leave although it was a Sunday night. I could not stop staring at the backdrop of lights, some brighter than other, over a dark canvas, it was almost therapeutic. I had to take a picture to share with my readers to how easy it is to create an ambience.

Let me know what you think or if you’re having a hard time creating ambience in your space feel free to give me a call at 416-629-2040.

The month of October brings lots of festivities one of them being Diwali, the festival of lights. I was at an early Diwali celebration on Saturday and when we lit the many little tea-lights and dimmed the lights, everyone seemed to relax. The mood in the room changed and so did the conversations.

One of the most unnoticed design elements is lighting. Often people tend to disregard the importance of lighting to create a mood or ambience.

When creating a room I take into account of how much natural light is coming into the room, the colours, materials and the purpose of the room all determine the kind of lighting appropriate for the room. We can use lighting for specific tasks, to illuminate a general area or to highlight a specific area or object in the room to create drama. Just throw a spotlight on an element in your backyard and see how much visual interest it creates. The colour of the light plays with our senses, yellow lighting is warm and cozy whereas bluish white is cold. every area of a home needs to be lit with an assortment of light fixtures and for different times of the day. With the rising cost of bills adding timers to lights around the house can save a considerable amount.

o Floor lamps – add light in any dark corner, hallway, bedroom, living room.
o Sensor lighting – perfect for out door use, back yard or hallways.
o Lamp posts – help stand out from other homes on your street and bring attention to your house
o Track lighting – is great when you want to highlight certain areas of a room or create an art gallery effect. Work better on higher ceilings.
o Solar lights – ideal for landscape lighting
o Pendant lights – commonly used foyers, dining rooms, stairways, or above kitchen islands bringing concentrated light closer to surfaces.
o Ceiling mount –
o Pot lights – a hot favourite for kitchens as it illuminates every area of the kitchen. Remember don’t over do and always add dimmers.
o Chandeliers – are not just for dining rooms anymore but can be used to add style, texture and dazzling light. They are now being used for entrances, powder room or a bedroom.
o Candles – add light and warmth to any space, the flickering flame brings life to the candle.

As a first step, look around your home and notice how its lit. If you don’t know how to light different rooms in your home call us at 416-629-2040 and we’ll guide you to create the perfect mood in your home.